


The Second Stricture

by amako



Series: like a wall (you had my back) [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Body Horror, Child Death, F/M, Past Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke - Freeform, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, War, i don't know how to write those, that I can do, this is not a happy story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 03:14:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16031822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amako/pseuds/amako
Summary: “Kyojin Sakura herself,” what looks like the leader sneers. “Aren't we blessed by the gods, today.”“I've met a god,” Sakura replies, cold like a Kumo winter. “There's nothing blessed about that.”





	The Second Stricture

**Author's Note:**

> ShikaSaku Week 2018  
> Day one: Hidden in the leaves/Will of Fire
> 
> This is actually a two-parts story, the second part being for the day two prompt of the shikasaku week.
> 
> The title is a reference to Dishonored and the Seven Strictures:
> 
> Restrict the Lying Tongue that is like a spark in the heathen's mouth. It is such a little thing, yet from the one spark an entire city may burn to the ground. Better to live a life of silence than unleash a stream of untruth. The echoes of lies come back as the voice of the Outsider.

They get the message in the early morning. Konoha has an outpost at the border, where they're holding against most of Iwa's forces. Team 7 was sent there about a week into the conflict, as brute force against Rock shinobi. That's what they're good at: hitting hard, creating gaping holes in enemy lines.

Sakura doesn't even work as a medic on that one. Since the end of the Fourth War, she's been training field medics day and night until Konoha had a suitable division of competent people. She takes great pride in the twenty-seven men and women who are now saving her comrades' life while she punches Iwa shinobi left and right.

The outpost houses about forty Leaf fighters, twenty of which are rotating to guard the border. Team 7 is getting their five hours of rest when the messenger hawk leaves a scroll in the meeting room. Izumo comes to wake them up, because the four of them are responsible for the outpost. All the good it did them to be war heroes.

Sasuke is the one to open the scroll, and his voice is freezing cold when he reads it to the three others. Naruto's first reaction is to grab onto Sakura's biceps, looking at her sharply. She's staring at Sasuke without moving.

 

“They have him,” she whispers.

Sasuke is watching her. “Sakura.”

“They have Shikamaru.”

“Don't be stupid,” Sasuke says through gritted teeth.

“Let go, Naruto.”

 

His hand retracts, but he doesn't stop looking at her.

 

“This is a trap, Ugly. You know that.”

Her eyes scream for blood. “Do I look like I care?”

“You're not going alone,” Sasuke says after a minute of tense silence.

“Seriously? Sasuke!”

“You really think you can stop her, uh, Naruto? You're welcome to try.”

 

Sakura sends him a defiant look, tall and strong like a wall, like the thirty-year-old who survived a Shinobi War.

They changed, all of them. Naruto's smile is just that bit brighter, to compensate for how rare it is. Sasuke laughs and comforts and advises and cries into Sakura's neck at night. Sai forgot how to fake emotions and bleeds feelings, fragile and unbalanced, eternal virgin heart.

Sakura married Sasuke and it broke her a little bit; she gave him twins, and broke a little more; one of the boys died falling down stairs when he was three and she finished breaking quietly while signing the divorce papers. Now she's hard and bitter and spitting poison as often as she heals.

Shikamaru picked up the pieces five years before the conflict with Iwa began and she latched onto him with all her broken edges.

Now Shikamaru is captured, and poison is dripping from the corners of her mouth again.

 

 

 

She sneaks out of the outpost while she's supposed to be doing her shift in the small infirmary they have inside the base.

Thirty-year-old and she's better than ever, a terrifying shadow of skill and stealth. No one sees her and no one will until she shows up late to the next meeting. She has a good five hours to cross Iwa's border and find the place where they're holding Shikamaru up. That's plenty.

She passes the Iwa front line and dives into the mountains. The scroll had a meeting place indicated, but despite her haste, she's not going to throw herself to the wolves. She'll go a little north of the place and wait, because they didn't leave a way to contact them upon arrival, so they must have people watching the spot. If she can find them, and find out when they rotate position, she'll have the hideout.

She only has to wait three hours stuck to the side of a cliff before the two women she's watching are replaced by three men. She follows without a noise, a little behind just in case she slips up in any way. The women lead her to a tunnel carved deep inside the mountain range, bare of any recognizable feature. She'd never have found it if she hadn't waited.

Getting inside is easy. They obviously never expected anyone to find out about their hiding place. Navigating the maze of tunnels, once she's passed the entrance, proves to be a challenge. But she's not a war hero for nothing, and her fame is nothing compared to the sheer talent years and training have given her.

Sakura arrives at destination after turning another corner, deep into the tunnels. She looks for the place with the least chakra in it, guessing they probably used repressing manacles to weaken him. The cells are a void in the fabric of the world, and that's where she finds Shikamaru.

The shackles may restrain him, but they don't negate his ability to feel chakra. She sends a small spark in his direction, knowing he'll recognize him and won't cause a fuss when she breaks into his cell. The metal bends under her grip and she rips a hole in the steel until she can step inside.

Shikamaru is chained to the wall, looking relatively well for how long he's been in enemy hands. His eyes lit up when he sees her, but he remains silent. He doesn't look like he's been tortured, which is a fucking godsend given the information he has in his possession. Time-sensitive, possibly outcome-of-war changing information, which can't fall in the hands of Iwa. This is their card to end the conflict.

Sakura doesn't say a word as she breaks the manacles, freeing Shikamaru quickly and efficiently. She has to take a moment, though, because this is him, this is _truly_ him and he's no longer in danger. Her mouth finds his cheek and she closes her eyes when he wraps his arms around her.

 

“We need to get out,” he whispers so low only the vibrations echo against her skin.

“I know the way out.”

 

He nods instead of replying, and Sakura enlarges the hole in the door to allow him to follow her. They leave by the same tunnels she arrived by, taking great care in masking their chakra signature the entire time. Her heart is beating fast, recognising the entrance tunnel, and she turns around to grin at Shikamaru. Her smile drops instantly.

Behind him, a whole platoon of Iwa nin are following them. This is their home, they're a people of rocks and darkness, and she didn't even felt a hint that they were being followed. Sakura doesn't even try to warn Shikamaru, knowing her face is explanation enough. He turns around as well, facing the enemy shinobi.

 

“Kyojin Sakura herself,” what looks like the leader sneers. “Aren't we blessed by the gods, today.”

“I've met a god,” Sakura replies, cold like a Kumo winter. “There's nothing blessed about that.”

“I love your tongue, Kyojin. I'm excited to hear you more. I heard you have information that might change the course of the war.”

 

Sakura bends her knees in a fighting stance, her fists coating with chakra. She looks towards Shikamaru, to see what his strategy will be in the fight. He doesn't look back. She reaches for her weapon pouch-

She tries to reach for her weapon pouch. Her hand doesn't move. Almost screaming with how hard it is, she manages to lower her head just a centimetre. Her eyes fall on her shadow, now locked into place by Shikamaru's.

 

“Thank you, Nara-san. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.”

 

Shikamaru gives the leader a small smile, like she's seen a thousand times before, sweet and sincere, with just the hint of respect for someone her appreciates. Sakura watches, paralysed, the Iwa nin come behind her and attach shackles to her feet and wrists. Then they wrap her arms in ninja wire, bound behind her back so tight her skin breaks. She feels the blood running down her forearms and she still _can't move_.

 

“I told you I'd get you the intel, Hitoki-san. Now, about that promise?”

“Of course.” The woman hands a scroll to Shikamaru, and he takes it with one hand, the other locked into a seal. “Safety and mercy for the Nara Clan when Iwa wins the war, as well as a place in the Clans' Council. Signed by the Tsuchikage and his advisors.”

“Thank you. I'll gather my clansmen and move them to Iwa as soon as I'm back in the village.”

Hitoki smiles, suddenly gentle. “We'll be very lucky to have you, Nara-san. You'll be invaluable to our village.”

“I'm glad. Take care of yourself.”

“You as well, Shikamaru.”

 

His light laugh feels like a hand wrapped around Sakura's throat. Shikamaru walks up to her, and his eyes are filled with tears. His shoulders are shivering, like he's holding a sob.

 

“I'm so sorry, Sakura,” he says quietly, his eyes not meeting hers. “We did the maths. There's no way we're winning the war, and I have to protect my clan.” He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath. “I'm sorry. Please, forgive me.” His lips press against her forehead. “I love you, Haruno Sakura. I will never forget you.”

 

Then he's gone, leaves flying around her as the shadows free her. The Iwa nin are on her in an instant. Bound like she is, with no chakra to rely on, she can't even move a toe before they knock her out.

 

 

 

Naruto is pacing. It's not changing anything to the situation, but it makes him feel just a little bit better, so he's not going to refrain himself. They can't send anyone after Sakura, not without risking heavy losses that would be irreplaceable. They have a border to hold and they can't spare the manpower.

Sai is sharpening Sasuke's katana, quiet and precise, looking like he's going to break any minute now. The Uchiha Clan Head is pretending not to have a panic attack in the back of the room, while they pretend not to notice him having one.

Sakura has been gone for almost a five days now, and they haven't heard from her. Despite the worry and the anger, they know just how good she is, and it should _not_ be taking her this long to come back from wherever she decided to risk her life.

 

“Taichō!”

 

All three of them raise their head at the title they share. Moegi is panting, her orange hair falling out of the strict bun on the back of her head.

 

“You need to come outside!”

 

They follow her without question, because you don't ask questions in a war where everyone knows the importance of a simple sentence. It's a matter of trust and realizing you can't waste anybody's time.

Moegi guides them to the tent of the only field-medic they have, one that Sakura trained. They don't have to come inside. Konohamaru is kneeling in the gravel, glowing green hands pressed to the thigh of a pasty-white Shikamaru.

 

“Sasu-” he coughs. “You all- you need to, ah, you need to send a team to get her back,” he gasps.

“Shikamaru, what happened?” Naruto crouches next to his friend, trying to hide how panicked he feels.

“I left her- left her there. Had to get out. You had to- you had to hear the intel.”

Naruto turns around in a sharp movement. “Sai, put a team together.” The man nods, disappearing quickly. “Now tell us about the intel.”

“Iwa captured the Yonbi again. They're- they're trying to find a new host. Their number is low, it's their only chance. And- and I know where the Yonbi is.”

 

Naruto stops breathing. That's the best news he's heard in a very, very long time.

 

“Where?”

“In the same place they kept me. I got caught on purpose after I heard, ah, I heard rumours, so I could confirm it.”

“Let's go then,” Sai says, appearing out of nowhere with Karin and Mirai behind him.

“Shika!” Mirai drops at his side, her hand brushing his shoulder like she's afraid to touch him. “Are you okay?”

“I'll be fine. We need to find Sakura.”

 

With Konohamaru's help, he gets on his feet. He's still pale, but he's standing, and his hands aren't shaking.

 

“How did you get hurt?” Karin asks, practical even with the worry apparent on her face.

“I cut a deal with the leader of the group that got me. I brought them someone with information about our side and they'd let me go. So I sent that messenger hawk and when Sakura showed up, I helped them capture her.” His face is ashen, the guilt obvious in every word that leaves his mouth. “They gave me a scroll to guaranty my safety, but it was a fake and when I showed it to the border patrol, they attacked.

Sasuke stares at Shikamaru with spinning red eyes. “That intel is good. It will probably make us win the war.”

 

He doesn't say anything more. Shikamaru can hear the rest nonetheless. _Sakura is probably dead because of you. The war is won, but Sakura died thinking you betrayed her._ Sasuke doesn't have to say it. Shikamaru's been hearing it on repeat for the last five days.

 

 

 

The tunnels are quiet when they reach the hideout. They left Naruto and Sai behind to coordinate the arrival of new troops, for the final assault. Not many Iwa nin left, the intel says, and the Yonbi will soon be in Konoha's hand. They're going to win. But inside the tunnels, their countries are still at war and they can't afford to be spotted, not with so few of them.

In the end, they don't have to worry about it. About forty metres inside the deeper tunnels, they find the first body. It has been mangled in horrible ways, skin melted of the skin in places. Hardening lava is sticking to the walls. They simply follow the trail of bodies, until they find a large, circular room, carved into the mountain.

The floor is covered in seals painting with blood, then smeared by the fresher blood of corpses littered all around the area. The centre of the room is scorched and there are splatters of lava all across the central seal.

 

“We're too late,” Karin whispers.

“They already sealed the Yonbi,” Sasuke says through gritted teeth.

“Shit!” Shikamaru's shout makes Mirai jump. He looks furious.

“Come on, we still need to look for Sakura,” Mirai says gently.

“Or her body,” Karin adds with a grim face.

 

 

 

They find her in the cell Shikamaru was held in. She's slumped against the wall, her legs folded to the right and hands hanging by her side. She's naked from the waist up, her entire torso and arms covered in seals drawn in haste. Around her belly-button, is a symbol any of the Konoha 11 would recognize in a heartbeat. Her eyes are blinking slowly, like she's not seeing them.

What catches their attention is not the seals, neither is the jinchūriki circle on her stomach.

On the wall, next to her head and pined with a kunai, is a piece of meat. Engraved in the stone with blood dripping from it, are the words _The Lying Tongue._ The same blood that covers her ripped-off fingernail and the stains around her half-open, empty mouth.

 


End file.
